Girl Scout Planning Through the Year

The following “Girl Scouting Through the Year” calendar is a helpful framework for programming troop activities through the year. Including these activities helps ensure that girls receive a good foundation for the Girl Scout experience and program, while at the same time giving you as leader the “building blocks” to tie into the larger programming goals of your troop.

To ensure girl participation in planning, review this calendar with them at the beginning of your troop year and ask them how they would like to incorporate these ideas - Badgework? Ceremonies? Crafts? Games? Service Projects? Trips?

For younger girls, offer limited choices (perhaps a choice of three activities that would apply to an appropriate Daisy Petal; or a choice of three appropriate Brownie Badges) and have them vote on their favorite. Juniors and Teens should take the lead in selecting, planning and carrying out the activities - as troop leader and advisor to older girls, you can help guide them through the process, but be sure to step back and allow them to do the actual work.

GIRL SCOUTING THROUGH THE YEAR CALENDAR 

Note:  the following calendar reflects certain events specific to the Chesapeake Bay Council

August

• Time to rev up your planning! Make sure you have all necessary forms.
• Watch for council's Program Calendar on the website - possibly in July -  to plan the trainings you need to take this year, and inform girls of council events they might want to participate in.
• Register for Fall School - a fun weekend just for adult volunteers ! 
• Organize your troop notebooks, binders, files.
• Plan to attend the monthly Service Unit volunteers meetings for updated information, ideas and networking.  If your Service Unit has a website, Facebook page, or email group for sharing communications, make sure you sign up and check those sources frequently for important info.
• Get in the habit of checking the council website for information on trainings and girl events (www.cbgsc.org) and GSUSA site for general information and updates (www.girlscouts.org) 

September 

• Troop year starts! Make sure all girls and adults working with girls are registered.
• Hold a Parent Meeting to recruit Troop Committee Members, explain policies & procedures.
• Make sure adults have been or will be receiving the trainings necessary for their positions.
• Have girls develop troop rules, goals, activities, badges to work on, and budget.
• Introduce Girl Scout history (some great badges and patch programs tie in nicely.) 
• Teach/review Girl Scout Promise and Law; Sign, Handshake, Motto and Slogan.
• Programming for the next two or three months should emphasize Team Building activities, especially for new troops or when including new girls.

October 

• Fall Product Sales (QSP - magazine subscriptions and nut/candy.) 
• Juliette Low’s birthday (October 31.)

November 

• Investiture/Rededication Ceremony.

December 

• Service Projects.
• Court of Awards for badges and awards earned during the fall.

January 

• Cookie Sales begin! 
• Winter activities and/or winter (cabin) camping.
• For younger girls - begin spring pre-camping progressions such as a one night indoor sleepover.

February

• Cookie Booths.
• World Thinking Day (February 22.)

March 

• Girl Scout Birthday (March 12.) 
• Girl Scout Sunday - the Sunday immediately prior to March 12. 

April 

• Earth Day and other environmental/outdoors activities.
• Spring camping.
• Order end of year member star pins and bridging patches (avoid the May “run” on Council inventory.) 

May 

• Bridging and Year End Activities including final Court of Awards.
• Family Recognition.
• Prepare all necessary End of Year Documents and Paper Work (DCR, United Way form, etc.) 

June 

• Attend your Service Unit's Adult Volunteer Recognition Dinner.
• Optional - plan once a month fun activities to keep the girls in contact and involved in the Girl Scout experience through the summer (girls who maintain that connection at least once or twice during the summer are much more likely to return in the fall!)

Troop Year End Checklist

This is a handy checklist for the end of the troop year.  It will help keep you on track, and prevent last minute panic when you realize you have more to do than you thought!

Year End Ceremonies 
 ___ Plan final Court of Awards.
        ___ Order all necessary insignia for final Court of Awards. (Note: order early to avoid
               inventory depletion.)
        ___ Write article for Court of Awards and mail to local newspaper or give it to the
               service unit public relations manager, if requested.
 ___ If troop has girls Bridging to next level:
       ___ Plan activities for girls to earn their bridging patch (start early enough to complete
              requirements.)
       ___ Notify troop organizer or service unit manager of girls eligible for bridging.
       ___ Notify bridging members of their new troop/group.
       ___ Give individual Girl Record forms for bridging members to troop organizer or
              service unit manager
       ___ Read "Membership Transfers/Dropouts" section under "Money Management" in
              Adult Resource Manual and follow guidelines for money transfer, as necessary.
       ___ Plan Bridging Ceremony with the girls.

Troop/Girl Goals 
 ___ Review and evaluate the year’s troop plans and goals with the girls.
        Were they achieved? If not, are they still relevant?
        What help does the troop need to reach them?
___ Review individual goals and plans with each girl.
       Were they achieved? If not, are they still relevant?
       What help does she need to reach them?
___ Plan and carry out the troop cookie money activity(ies) decided upon by the girls.
       If activity has not been implemented, is there a clear, definite plan and timeline for it?

Bank Accounts and Financial Statements  
___ Balance troop/group bank account and reconcile all statements.
___ Complete troop/group Financial Report (DCR) and give to service unit manager or
       service unit treasurer or auditor by the specified deadline.

Intent for Returning Next Year 
___ Survey girls and adults as to their intent on returning to the program next year.
___ Complete Girl & Adult Troop Placement Form and return to service unit manager or
       troop organizer.
___ Receive completed registration forms and GSUSA registration fees from all girl and adult
       members planning to re-register for the next Girl Scout year.
___ Deliver the above items to the service unit registrar.
___ Notify service unit manager of future intent of troop/group/adults in leadership positions -
       staying with troop or resigning.**
___ ** If adult leadership is resigning, give all troop/group equipment, supplies, handbooks,
       Safety-Wise, records, flags, bank accounts to troop organizer or service unit manager.
       CHECKBOOK IS NEVER TO BE TURNED OVER DIRECTLY TO AN INCOMING
       LEADER.

Other Activities 
___ Complete the United Way form and return it to the service unit manager
___ Recognize/thank those individuals, businesses, and organizations who helped the troop
       during the year. (Sponsors, troop committee people, consultants, etc.)
___ Promote day and resident camp opportunities to girls and adults.
___ Plan summer fun activities with girls.
___ Set date for first formal meeting after summer vacation. Notify girls.
  

 * If your service unit does not have a service unit manager, 

give all information to your assigned membership staff person.

HAVE A SUPER SUMMER - you deserve it!

10 Things Leaders Should Know

We would all do well to remember these ten pearls of wisdom from seasoned leaders!

10. There is not just one way of doing things.
Your way is just great. There are no Girl Scout Police. You don't need to be a great outdoorswoman or a life-long Girl Scout to be an effective Girl Scout Leader. (But if you know somebody like that, don't forget to use their expertise to help you along the way!)

9. Being a Girl Scout Leader is not a competition sport. 
If you hear of something neat that another troop is doing, please don't feel inferior. Remember all the great things your troop is doing!  File that great idea away because maybe you'd like to borrow it for your troop someday.  And don't forget to tap your parents to help implement those great ideas so you're not doing it all yourself!

8. Network. 
One part of the Girl Scout Law is to use resources wisely. Don't re-invent the wheel! Talk to other leaders, as well as people involved in other youth organizations and get ideas. Don't hesitate to call team members for advice.

7. Work together. 
Plan some joint activities with other troops. Invite some girls from older troops to come help you, especially troops that are getting ready to bridge to the next level.

6. Follow the rules.
Remember that all those Girl Scout rules and regulations are there to help and protect you, not to be punitive or restrictive. Those rules, along with a little common sense, will keep you out of hot water.

5. Get the girls to be as self-sufficient as possible. 
Don't do something for them that they could do themselves. Don't automatically jump in and fix everything right away. Ultimately, this will be better for them and better for you. This is an investment you'll make in the earlier years. Some day, you'll sit in a lawn chair while they serve you. I promise!

4. Take the training courses that are offered to you.
It's hard to commit to yet another night out, but you'll get some great ideas and meet some really nifty people. In the long run, it'll be a time saver.

3. Attend Leader meetings.
Same reasoning as the last one.

2. Delegate. 
Let the other parents in the troop know that everyone should have a part in the troop. There are lots of jobs to be done, large and small, and to fit every time schedule. Make it clear that you are not baby-sitting.

1. Have fun! 
Being a Girl Scout Leader is one of the best things you'll ever do for yourself, your daughter, and all of those other girls in the troop.

The Power of Yet

by meganramey2014 on July 20, 2015 for GSWOblog.org

Yet is a powerful word for young girls (and for adults). Adding a simple "yet" or a "not yet" to a sentence can change everything for a struggling girl. 

Don’t see how? Think of a time when you were trying to master a new skill. Like that difficult kickflip on your skateboard or plunking out “Heart and Soul” on the piano. Was there a moment when you failed (again) and the frustrated words “I just can’t do it” popped out of your mouth? Of course there was, everyone has those moments. 

Now what if someone nearby had added a “yet” or a “not yet” to that sentence? Let’s say it again: I just can’t do it yet. Can you feel the difference? That tiny yet makes a “never going to happen” into a “this is possible”. That is the power of yet. 

Thinking of overcoming challenges with a yet mindset makes failure a part of the journey, just one more stop on the road leading to success. It means girls process the errors they made, correct them through practice or strategy, and continue working toward the goal. 

The power of yet is an awesome tool for fostering growth mindset that helps girls be successful. When girls struggle with a new task, when they strive for big goals, when they feel too small to make a difference, helping them embrace the yet gives them the confidence to accept where they are now - because that is not all they will ever be. 

And it’s not just for girls. What goals are you striving for? What legacy will you leave? You’re not there yet, but with hard work (and a growth mindset) we believe you’ll get there and help your girls reach their dreams too!

Closing the Financial Gap

Well, the time is here. The end of your troop year is drawing close, and the girls are eagerly anticipating their final troop activities. For some troops, that means a moment of reckoning: despite all their best efforts at Fall Products Sales and Cookie Sales, they do not have enough money to fund all of their goals. As a leader, what do you do?

1. Ask the parents to pay the difference. 
This might be an option if the girls are short only a small amount, there is only one thing they have left they want to accomplish, and it will not be a financial hardship on any family (the key word here is ANY FAMILY.)

2. Decide whether a Supplemental Money Earning Activity is appropriate. 
Troops are permitted to engage in extra money earning activities to fund a particular goal, but this option comes with many mandatory stipulations, including submitting forms and receiving approval from the Service Unit Manager and your Council. There must be a clearly defined need for the extra funds. In addition, you must indicate what part the GIRLS have played in planning this activity.  Commercial fund-raisers and profit-sharings are prohibited.  Most councils require that the troop must have participated in all council-sponsored sales programs prior to applying for and conducting a supplemental money earning activity.

3. Use this as an opportune "teachable moment".
Sometimes in life you don't have the finances right now to buy what you want - a snazzy car, a total wardrobe overhaul, the latest iPhone.  Process with the girls that this is not a failure, it is just reality, and they will face this situation over and over again in their life.  Brainstorm what else they can do that is within their financial reach that would still satisfy them.  Do they need to go to an expensive water park, or would they be happy at a smaller community water park or pool?  It is not a bad thing to allow girls to experience scaling back their aspirations to fit the reality of the situation, and learning they can still be happy with the result.  In fact, you will be giving girls an incredible gift of learning to "live within their means." The important point here is allowing the girls to make their own choices so they can take ownership of it and feel satisfied.

As a troop, you will probably be faced with this situation many times over the years.  By allowing the girls to take the lead in solving the challenge, they will become better equipped to handle their own personal wants and needs in the future.

Progression in Girl Planning and Leadership

In the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, adult leaders and advisors help develop girls' leadership skills by following the three processes of Girl-Led; Learning by Doing; and Cooperative Learning.  As girls age up, they take on progressively more responsibility for running their troop, planning activities, designating assignments to others, and ensuring fair and equal involvement of all girls.  The following are suggestions for building in progression in leadership in the Girl Scout program:

Daisies

• Government - Daisy Circle
• Adult role – Leader (offer limited choices)
• Girl role – make choices from those given

Brownies

• Government - Brownie Ring
• Adult role – Leader (oversee and guide – build in success)
• Girl role – brainstorming, thinking about implications of decisions, voting

Juniors

• Government - Patrols
• Adult role - Role Model (encourage healthy risk taking)
• Girl role – increased responsibility for decision making, planning, and carry through

Cadettes

• Government - Town Meetings
• Adult role - Mentor (create safe space to fail)
• Girl role – help plan meetings and activities; designate who does what

Senior and Ambassadors

• Government – Executive Board with officers
• Adult role – Advisory (step in only for safety reasons)
• Girl role – all planning and implementation, consulting with adults as needed 

By building progressive leadership into the Girl Scout experience, we help young women gain the inner skills they need to successfully meet life with courage, confidence and character.

How to Start a Troop on a Shoestring Budget

This great resource was compiled by Lisa Smith Beasley


LEADER SUPPLIES 

• Leader's materials including your Volunteer Essentials training manual and Camping manual
• Age Level Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting
• Age Level Journeys (get the set with a copy of the girl's book and the leader's guide) 
• Age Level Badge Requirements
• Safety-Wise document
• Storage box (bought, or photocopy paper box, or a wheeled suitcase you have.) A wheeled luggage cart with a milk crate or craft/scrapbooking cart with pockets for supplies is great!
• Sharpies (multiple colors, if possible) 
• Adult scissors (for adults to use)
• Tissues / Kleenex 
• Hand sanitizer
• First Aid kit (purchased or put together from recommended supplies)

INCOME 

• Start up grant from Service Unit or Council, if available (many require it to be repaid after cookie sales)
• Dues (decided by girls, often based on cost of badges and patches if not budgeted in product sales earnings) 
• Start up fee from parents to cover the first batch of pins, patches, etc 

SUPPLIES

• Look in your own cupboard. If you buy new crayons or markers each year for personal use, you may have a lot of boxes sitting around! Same with craft supplies 
• Watch garage sales and thrift stores for supplies. Don't be afraid to mention that it is for a Girl Scout troop - some people will give discounts or donate. 
• Be ingenious - leaders have used one of those beaded car seat covers as source material. For example - knotty people swap - http://www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/9092/knotpeop.html 
• Suggest a “supply swap” at your next Service Unit meeting - each leader brings items and craft materials no longer used, and goes home with a supply of new things 

PAPER/PHOTOCOPIES 

• Ask parents for old office letterhead, and use the back. Great for drawing, paper airplanes, etc. 
• Some companies will let employees use the printer/copier for the cost of paper, or for free as community service. See if one of your parents can do this. 

GIRL SUPPLIES 

• Have each girl bring in her own supplies in their own box, or buy a box of zippered plastic bags and each girl gets her own bag. Have them contain: 
• scissors 
• crayons 
• markers 
• pencil 
• glue or glue sticks 
• paint set (optional) 
• Ask parents for donations of excess craft materials, then base the crafts on what is available. 
• If a badge calls for something special, have each girl bring that item in (i.e. oatmeal container for drums or constellation viewers, shoebox for making dioramas, etc.) 
• Ask parents to save certain items for future use (i.e. the tabs off Kool-Aid Bursts for SWAPS, Snack-to-Go containers for trail mix, old greeting cards for crafts.) 
• Divide the girls into smaller groups - one per supervising adult. If one group cuts while another glues, then you need half the number of scissors and glue sticks. 
• Borrow what you can! Both parents and other leaders might help. 

CHEAP GIRL SCOUT ACTIVITIES 

• Sing songs 
• Practice a flag ceremony (some service units and the council have flags they can loan). 
• Do service projects, like planting flowers at a fire or police station 
• Volunteer time with an animal shelter, soup kitchen, meals on wheels, at a nursing home or working at the council camps - great tie ins to badges 
• Schedule one meeting to just go to the playground, eat a sack dinner and PLAY! Girls have a great time. 
• Pretend you’re tourists and “visit” your town, hitting all the tourist destinations. Stop at the local ice cream parlor for a treat on the way home. 
• When the weather gets nicer, get outside the meeting place and practice putting up, taking down, (not losing parts) and putting away tents so the girls are ready for tent camping during the summer. 

JULIETTE LOW BIRTHDAY PARTY OR TROOP SHOWER 
Ask girls and parents to donate items for a Juliette Low birthday party.  Provide a list of suggested items that could be used for crafts, supplies or the troop First Aid kit. Each girl brings in an item, wrapped, and then they take turns unwrapping the presents. Girls will enjoy opening and showing the gifts for their troop!

A game can be made of the unwrapping: Each girl holds her wrapped gift and the leader starts the "Left/Right" story.  Gifts get passed from one person to another around the circle according to the directions in the story. When the story was done, each girl is holding a different gift and gets to open "her" present. An example of the story is at http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Plains/1132/stories.html

What isn't supplied for the First Aid kit, ask you local hospital or pharmacy if they can donate what is needed. 

"It" Bag

We're all familiar with Kapers and the benefits a Kaper Chart brings to organizing our troops and ensuring an equal rotation of responsibilities among the girls.  But during the year there will be times when you need one or two girls to help with a quick task - not enough for a Kaper Chart assignment, but still enough that you want to ensure each girl gets an equal chance to be a helper.   This is where an "It" bag comes in handy.

You keep two paper bags labeled "It" and "Not It". Start with all the girls' names on slips of paper in the "It" bag. When you select the one or two that you need by drawing their names, move the slip to the "Not It" bag.  Each time you need these occasional helpers, draw a name from the "It" bag until you have selected all of them. Girls will quickly learn that everyone will get a chance to be a helper, and it eliminates the “Me, pick me!” competitiveness.

Transportation Safety

Vehicle safety should be one of our primary concerns when transporting girls as part of the Girl Scout program. The Safety Group for Girl Scout Councils developed an auto safety module that is part of the Girl Scout Safety Wise document. Review the checklists and responsibilities of drivers and passengers, and remind them they all have responsibilities to help ensure a safe trip. (If you do not know where to find Safety Wise, contact your council or local service unit. Most councils publish Safety Wise on their websites.)


Make sure you have filed all necessary paperwork and received authorization for the trip. Contact your council or local service unit for assistance if necessary.

Make sure every driver and passenger are protected with a functioning seatbelt.

Follow your state laws requiring car seats and/or booster seats for girls, according to height and weight.

Check with your council regarding the use of 15 passenger vans. Most councils prohibit the transportation of girls in 15 passenger vans due to vehicle rollover and other safety issues.

All drivers must be registered as Adult Volunteers. They should provide you with a copy of their driver's license, car registration, and current auto insurance card prior to the trip. Girls registered as a girl member can NEVER drive other girls.

A First Aid kit should be in your car at all times and a currently certified Troop First Aider must accompany the group. Girls and adults should know where the First Aid kit is.

Any medications going along with girls or adults must be in their original containers, labeled with product identification, prescribing doctor, and directions for administration. Medications for girls should be kept by the leader or First Aider. Discuss protocol for Epi Pens (for severe allergic reactions) and injectable insulin (for diabetes) with parents prior to the trip.  Know what your council's policy is for administration of any injectable medications.

Carry a "Go Packet" with you.  A simple 2-pocket folder can serve as your "Go Packet" to be carried with you whenever you are transporting girls anywhere. In the folder, include the following:

• Copies of all drivers' licenses, car registrations, and auto insurance card
• Health cards and emergency contacts for all girls AND ADULTS accompanying you
• Roster and emergency contact information for all girls and adults accompanying you
• Contact information for the adult(s) at home who agreed to be the Troop Emergency Contact for this trip
• Trip itinerary
• Girl Scout Accident Report information with your council’s emergency contact number
• Girl Scout Insurance Claims forms (contact your council or local service unit if you do not have a copy)

The Buddy System

The buddy system is a safety practice in which two or three girls are grouped to keep watch over each other.  In an activity (ex. swimming, hiking), the girls grouped together should be of equal ability.

Under the buddy system, each pair/trio is responsible for:   

• Staying with her buddy at all times, 
• Warning her buddy of danger, 
• Giving her buddy immediate assistance if it is safe to do so, 
• Calling for help or (as a last resort) going for help when the situation warrants it.

The buddy system does NOT relieve the leader of their responsibility for knowing the whereabouts of each member of the troop, but it does serve as a means of involving everyone in the group and having them share the responsibility.  To be really effective, all members of the group need to understand how the buddy system works.

As a leader preparing to take your troop out-of-doors or on a trip, you are keenly aware of health and safety.  Camp and travel security is just part of a Girl Scout’s BEING PREPARED – everywhere and anytime, including troop outings and troop camping adventures.

Safety has to do with the prevention of accidents and the prevention of injury to the individual while she is participating in an activity or while she is using facilities, supplies, equipment, and tools.

Security has to do with the protection of the lives and property of individuals and with the protection of the site and facilities and protection from the criminal acts of other people and from attacks by animals.

For the Adults:  

Be sure they understand their security role.  Have them review Safety Activity Checkpoints for the activity.  Be sure the adults know their sleeping assignments will be made so that they can readily detect intruders and offer immediate assistance to girls if needed.

• To watch over and keep track of specific groups of girls (as assigned by the leader) – conduct 
   periodic buddy checks – upon a prearranged signal, each person finds her buddy, clasps hands and 
   holds them up.  Adults can immediately count buddy pairs/trios and spot any unattached girls.
• To assist with bed checks at night.
• To become a “substitute buddy” for night trips to the latrine when it is too far from the sleeping 
   area.
• To be alert for and report any suspicious sounds, activities, autos, or people.
• To intervene if a stranger approaches your girls or group.

For the Girls:

Establish a few simple security rules for everyone to follow:

• Always stay with your buddy – never walk alone;
• Stay near the group – don’t stray away from the designated camping area;
• Avoid strangers and other groups;
• Carry your flashlight at night, stay within the lighted area;
• Report suspicious sounds, activities, people to an adult in your group;
• Make noise for self-protection to scare off unseen intruders;
• Sound alarm when in trouble;
• Run toward people an/or lights.

Pre-Tip Planning helps your girls to:
• Know what safety and security problems may be encountered;
• Know how to deal with these hazards and potential problems;
• Develop safety-security procedures for buddies to follow: for example, if they get separated from 
   the group or get lost, tell them to stay put. Decide on a signal (a whistle) to be used for 
   emergencies ONLY;
• Decide on the best way for choosing buddies for the trip: for example, buddies within kaper groups, 
   special interests, ability level.

If you plan your camp and trip security and prepare the girls and adults in your group to carry out the plan, you will be prepared to have a secure and safe experience.

Supervision of Girls: What Is It?

Adults accompanying a group should be chosen for their patience, flexibility, and good judgment. They need to understand their responsibilities during the trip.

The group leader needs to communicate with the other adults and encourage them to attend meetings when the troop is preparing for the trip. They should know what equipment and clothing to bring and what the site will be like. They need to know the rules in force at the site and the schedule and expectations that the GIRLS have set for themselves. They also should understand the underlying Girl Scout philosophy and practice of “For Girls, By Girls”.

If the adults have daughters in the group, they may want to discuss ways to encourage these girls to feel that they are part of the group, not different or special. Also realize that young girls sometimes find it hard to share the time and attention of their parent (or special adult) with other girls.


Supervision means:

• Encouraging girls to try new things

• Watching, guiding, motivating (NOT doing it for them)

• Intervening before injuries occur (safety is a primary concern)

• Being knowledgeable about the activity to be supervised and the potential for injury

• Being a role model by your actions

• Taking full responsibility for an activity or group of girls when asked

• Providing effective discipline when needed (criticize the behavior, not the girl)

• Knowing where girls are at all times

• Being easily located by girls who need help

• Helping girls understand how to do unfamiliar tasks while giving them real responsibility for finishing a job so that they see themselves as useful and competent

• Providing praise for effort and achievement

• Helping girls who need it with tasks such as combing hair, and reminders to wash hands, change to clean clothes when needed, etc.


Prior to the Trip:
• Prior to the trip, the adults going should attend the troop trip planning meetings with the girls.

• The group leader should explain the role of the supervising adults and their expectations before the trip.

• Adults should understand the plans the GIRLS have made for the trip.

• Adults should understand the safety systems for the trip and the buddy system that the girls have learned.

• If they are drivers, adults need to know the transportation safety standards in Safety-Wise; be registered with Girl Scouts as an adult volunteer; and present the leader with a copy of their driver’s license, registration, and insurance cards.

• Adults need to know the emergency procedures for the site as well as during travel to and from the site.

• Adults shall act as responsible role models by not smoking, drinking, or taking illegal drugs while supervising the girls.


Guidelines are from GSUSA General Outdoor Training Module

What To Do With the Girls

In the course of the year, you should do some of the following.  How many of each depends on the girls' preferences.  A balanced offering with variety makes it easier to maintain the girls' interest and enthusiasm:

Service projects: participating in larger ones with other groups or small ones such as planting flowers at the troop's school or meeting place.

Arts and Crafts: geared to the appropriate age and developmental level.  Arts and crafts should be selected with an eye toward helping girls develop physical skills such as eye/hand coordination and fine motor dexterity, as well as making something fun and pretty.

Games: especially those with a strong physical component to get girls up and moving around.

Outdoor events: whether it is overnight camping or something as simple as an outdoor nature scavenger hike, get the girls outside often.

Multi-age events: with other troops from your service unit or neighboring service units.

Learn the Girl Scout Promise and understand the Law.

Learn songs: there are dozens of resources for great Girl Scouting songbooks, websites, CDs.  Take a look at the songbooks and CDs offered by your council's shop to get you started, or check out what might be offered on e-Bay.  Or, invite an experienced songster to your troop to teach songs!

Take pictures often and maintain a scrapbook: not only for you, but for the girls too.  They'll have so much fun looking through it in the future, and new girls will love seeing what was done in the past.  It’s a wonderful promotional tool to use during beginning year parent meetings too!  
(NOTE: be mindful of any girl whose parents have not given photo consent.  Also keep SAFETY in mind if posting pictures to a Troop Facebook group page or website.  Never identify girls by name in media postings.)

Keep parents informed: with phone calls, newsletters, parent meetings, text messages, emails, Troop Facebook group or website.  Find out which ways parents prefer to receive communications, and settle on 2 or 3 methods that you (or a designated Troop Communications person) can manage.

 

Most of all, remember Juliette Low’s words of wisdom:
“Strive to provide girls with both education and fun.
But if you cannot do both, make sure they have the fun!”

General Tips for Troop Leaders

 In order to have a better understanding of what leading a troop is all about,

take advantage of the many resources available to you:

 

 

Attend your local Service Unit meetings: (A Service Unit includes all the Girl Scout adult and girl members within a particular geographic area or school district.)  These meetings, run for and by the volunteers, are usually held once a month in your local area and offer invaluable networking and fun.  The Service Unit Manager and other Service Team members will have up-to-date information on activities that your girls may participate in. In addition, leaders with more experience attend the meetings and can share valuable information with you on program resources, paperwork, troop management, etc.

Go to the training classes: When you sign up to be a leader, you must take your training in the level you will be a leader in. The Service Unit Manager will have a schedule for the classes. Your Council also offers dozens of other classes on such things as crafts, songs and games, first aid, etc.

Read your grade-level "Journeys" and "Journey Facilitator’s Guides", "It’s Your Journey – Customize It", and "The Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting": These books have information that will help you get started with your individual program.  Borrow before you buy!  Many Service Units or Councils have resource lending libraries.

Visit your Service Unit, Council and National GSUSA websites often for ideas:  
Chesapeake Bay Council   www.cbgsc.org  
Girl Scouts of the USA   www.girlscouts.org

Join your Service Unit’s Facebook group if one is available: This will keep you informed of current discussions among other local volunteers and will connect you to what other troops are doing.

Use the older girls in your Service Unit: Many would love to help you with your first few meetings, teaching the younger girls songs and games.

Talk with the parents of the girls in your troop: Find out what skills the parents have that you can use in your meetings.  Ask them for suggestions for program and activity ideas and trips, and what they would be willing to help with.  If your parents stay during the meetings, pass around a notebook and ask them to jot down their ideas for fun activities and trips.  Since they generated the ideas, they're more likely to offer to help!  If you need help holding a parent committee meeting, ask your Service Unit Team for assistance.

Talk to the girls: Ask them what they want to do. Remember the girl is first in Girl Scouting! If the girls are in kindergarten or first grade, limit the choices you ask them to make, so as to not overwhelm them. 

Progression is the key: We crawl before we walk, and we walk before we run.  Remember to introduce trips, camping, and skills as a progression.  Progression gives the girls confidence to tackle the next step!  Brownies are not ready for a weekend camping trip without first having an outdoor evening event; then an indoor overnight, then a back yard campout or one night camping trip.  Daisy trips should be limited in time and distance; Brownies can venture further for a day trip; Juniors can travel for a weekend; Teens are ready for cross-country and international travel.

How to Work with Girls

Help every girl shine!

1. Build on the strengths of each Girl Scout.  Show that you have a positive attitude by focusing on what each girl can do, not on what she can't.  Your positive attitude will rub off on her and help her develop a positive attitude about herself.  By emphasizing her strengths, you will help her develop her potential and grow in positive ways.

2. Don't hesitate to ask a girl the best way for her to do something.  Make directions simple.  Accompany verbal directions with physical help if necessary, but don't do the project for her.  Affirm that she can succeed.

3. Offer help in small doses.  Do not hold all girls to a uniform standard of performance.  Vary the amount of help and support given in a situation according to each girl's physical and emotional state.  Watch for signs of fatigue, and alternate quiet and active activities.

4. Allow the girl to learn by experience.  Encourage her to find things out for herself, but offer help and support when it is necessary to avoid catastrophic failure or discouragement.  Rejoice with her when she achieves something important to her, no matter how small.

5. Build a friendly and understanding relationship with each girl.  Accept her as she is, feelings and all, so she learns to trust you and your guidance.

6. Speak in quiet, pleasant tones.  Talk directly to girls, not from across the room or play area.  Be sure that the girl understands you.  Keep her attention when you speak.

7. Phrase directions positively rather than negatively, for example:  "Put your cup in the trashcan" rather than "Don't leave your cup on the table."  Praise the type of behavior you wish to encourage rather than only rebuking negative behavior.

8. Leaders should discipline each others' daughters.  You are the Girl Scout Leader at the meeting, not "Mom".  Leaders should treat their daughters the same as the other girls.  For example, your daughter should not have to clean up after the others have left - clean up is a shared responsibility among girls.

9. Parent helpers should be encouraged to work with all the girls, not just their own daughter.  Have them help at a table of multiple girls, or at a station with girls rotating through.

10. Limits should be clearly defined and consistently maintained.  Girls want clear rules, and should be encouraged to help make them.

11. Make full use of the "buddy system" (pairing girls up so they can watch out for each other.)  Rotate buddies so that everyone gets a chance to know everyone else and avoid cliques.

12. Involve each girl's family as much as possible.  Send notes home, spend time speaking to family members at drop off or pick up time, seek out those you don't often get a chance to speak with.  Find something positive and complimentary to say about everyone's daughter, regardless of her challenges.

SODA Method of Conflict Resolution

Conflict happens.  Helping girls (and adults!) learn how to mediate resolution when conflict happens is a critical life skill.  The SODA method is a simple, easy way for girls and adults to remember the steps to take when trying to resolve conflicts.

S = Situation

   What occurred?  What led up to the situation?

O = Options

   How can this be resolved?  
   (share, ignore, tell an adult, take turns, explain, move to a different 
   spot, argue, say bad words, hit, gossip, …)

D = Decide

   Determine which options might work (and which are inappropriate), 
   then mutually decide to try one that holds potential for a positive 
   outcome.

A = Assess

   Try the agreed upon action for a while, then assess its effectiveness.  
   If not completely effective or satisfactory to both parties, try 
   another likely option.